Happy Friday, here is the rundown of tonight's action that features the best of the Big East.
7 PM
Seton Hall at (6) Villanova – Fox Sports 1
The Wildcats have run off 4 in a row, going 4-1 in their toughest stretch of the season. They've won the last two by 16 and 23. James Bell leads Villanova with 15 points per game in conference action, JayVaughn Pinkston puts up 14.1 and Darrun Hillard 14 as a 3 headed monster. Nova shares the ball very well as 8 players average over an assist per game. This game could get up and down, these are the 2nd and 3rd most efficient offenses in the league. Seton Hall is actually second. The Pirates haven't played since knocking off Xavier over the weekend.
These teams met once already. Villanova won at Seton Hall when the Pirates played just 7 players. Darrun Hillard had 19, JayVaughn Pinkston 17, Ryan Arcidiacono 14 and Josh Hart had 11. Seton Hall played without star Fuquan Edwin the first time. Edwin averages 13.8, 4.6 and 2.7 steals.
9 PM
DePaul at (12) Creighton – Fox Sports 1
Well this just looks like a mismatch. Creighton is at the top of the league, DePaul at the bottom. It also looks like a mismatch because they played once and Creighton beat the hell out of them by 81-62. Doug McDermott had an off game the first time, 19 on 6 of 16. Avery Dingman had 16 on 6 of 8, 2 of 3, 2 of 3. A pair of additional Blue Jays had double digits. Brandon Young, 25, and Cleveland Melvin, 16, were the only Blue Demons in double figures. Because of course they were.
ON TV
7 PM
Manhattan at Canisius – ESPNU
The Golden Griffins host the Jaspers in a big MAAC game. Canisius is tied for the league lead with Iona. Manhattan is a pair of games back at 8-4. Manhattan has lost 3 of 5 coming into the game, while Canisius has won 4 straight. Billy Baron averages 25.2 for Canisius. He's hit 44 of 99 from 3 and 89% at the line in conference play. Baron also averages 5.7 assists, 4.6 boards and 1.9 steals. Michael Alvarado, 15.6-4.6 assists, and George Beamon, 13.6-7.7 boards, power the Jaspers.
9 PM
Detroit at Valparaiso – ESPNU
9:30 PM
WATCH ESPN
7 PM
Mercer at Kennesaw State
One of the top teams in the Atlantic Sun, Mercer, against the last place team, Kennesaw State.
Monmouth at Fairfield
THE REST
7 PM
Iona at Niagara
The other MAAC leaders, the Iona Gaels, take on 3-9 Niagara.
Brown at Harvard
Harvard is 4-0 in the Ivy, Brown is 3-1.
Columbia at Princeton
Cornell at Penn
Yale at Dartmouth
Siena at St Peter's
8 PM
Charlotte at Tulane
